I had a funny experience with a recruiter today. He pitched some software jobs and quoted me some salaries and I had the pleasurable experience of realizing that I was far overqualified for his positions. If you are a recruiter, here are two tips:
It’s about the money, but not in the way you think
Engineers don’t care about maxing the dollars. They care about experience, cool problems, and great teams. None of that is in your job description. In my last job I turned down 5k/year more for a better experience, and it actually really paid off because I enjoyed what I did. Engineers do care, however, about value. I know you get kickbacks from the corporations, and when you quote me 40% less than what I know I’m worth, it tells me you think I’m as taken as the community college intern. Smart engineers can do math. Compensation should reflect value.
It’s about the company, but not in the way you think
If I’m interviewing at the Facebooks, the Googles, the Amazons, and Microsofts, I’d like to know what the company with this mysterious “great opportunity” does. The vague “Fortune 500” company description is no good. I’m going to look up reviews and consult other developers about company culture before I even want to talk. At the end of the day it’s not about market cap and the downtown skyscraper, because there’s a great chance a fledgling startup has a better culture and better products.
